For many University students, winter break was a time devoted to relaxation and procrastination. This was not the case for Francis Biro ’09 and Alison Ringel ’09, who spent the end of their winter break filling out a lengthy application for a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, which awards outstanding students majoring in mathematics, science, engineering, or computer science. Their hard work paid off when they were chosen as two of 321 sophomores and juniors across the country who were awarded up to $7,500 to cover the cost of tuition, room and board, fees, and books.
“It’s kind of like applying to college,” Biro said, who is majoring in Sociology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and hopes to pursue a graduate degree and work in public health. “[You’re] trying to convince them that they want to give [the scholarship] to you.”
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is funded by the Goldwater Foundation, a federally endowed agency set up in 1986 which has awarded approximately $54,000,000 to 5,523 scholars.
As part of the application process, both students wrote essays about research they have completed or hope to complete. Biro’s application essay was entitled “MutSß Function in DNA Metabolism and Its Implications for Huntington’s Disease,” while Ringel, a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Physics major, wrote on “Understanding the Epigenome: the Role of Transcriptional Silencing in the Cell.”
Ringel plans on receiving a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and becoming a university professor and researcher.
“I was pretty shocked [when I found out], and ran out of class and went to talk to my advisor,” Ringel said. “It’s very surprising and unexpected.”
Both Ringel and Biro agree that being awarded the scholarship means more than receiving money for their education. With the Goldwater Scholarship comes prestige that will set Biro and Ringel apart from their peers as they consider graduate schools in the near future.
“Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs,” a March Goldwater Scholarship press release stated. “Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 70 Rhodes Scholarships, 94 Marshall Awards, and numerous other distinguished fellowships.”
That esteem, say Biro and Ringel, is worth much more than $7,500.
“The money pretty much goes straight to Wesleyan because it pays for your tuition, but more exciting [than the money] is that it’s a nice thing for graduate school,” Ringel said.
Biro thinks that being recognized for his work is also an exciting aspect of being a scholar.
“[The money] is definitely helpful, but I don’t think that quite compares to the prestige conferred by the award.” Biro said. “It opens up a lot of doors. On the other side, it’s an affirmation of my work, and that’s kind of cool.”
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